A Night of Fright is No Delight!
by ShinAyasaki
Summary: Ruby finds herself in the middle of a spooky situation, so she calls in some specialists for help.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

The crackling of the fireplace was the only noise to be had in the manor's grand study, the flames casting long shadows on the few pieces of furniture that stood before it, creating long stretches of inky darkness. What little light seeped through the heavy drapes covering the arched windows was scant, thick and heavy clouds obscuring the gleaming surface of the moon from sight.

At her favorite armchair, Ruby Kurosawa held a book flat against her lap, reading every word in spite of the harsh illumination of the fire.

A gentle breeze hit her face and she blinked, brow furrowing in confusion at this unexpected development.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted movement. Her gaze snapped up, just in time to see the swinging of a door as it made to close. It was a door that Ruby was certain she had closed when she'd entered the library.

Swallowing a pang of anxiety, Ruby called out. "Hello?"

There was no answer. She tried again. "Is anyone there?"

Once again, nothing.

Ruby took a breath to calm herself, gently marking her place in the book and setting it aside. She stood, walking over to the barely open door and the hallway behind it. Gazing into the abyss, she took a shuddering breath, before leaning in to flick the lightswitch.

Nothing. She tried again but to no avail. Not a single speck of luminescence answered the call to ward away the darkness.

Ruby audibly gulped. With fear creeping up her spine, she gingerly reached into a drawer for an old but functional flashlight, turning its narrow beam into the windowless recesses of the darkened corridor as she searched for answers. Taking some small courage from her lineage as a Kurosawa, Ruby hesitantly stepped into the hallway, guided only by the light and her desire to dispel this ominous pall.

Continuing down the corridor, she passed paintings, portraits, pediments, and all manner of wall-mounted decoration in her quest, biting her lip anxiously each time she passed a pair of painted eyes.

She followed the path to an open door, one that led to a small room filled with grandiose sculptures and works of art, all of them intent on capturing the essence of performance so beloved by her ancestors and forefathers. Ruby shined her light across the room, past the replicas of ancient marble statues, past the replicas of carved wooden figures, past the collection of theater masks rested upon a series of busts.

But wait. One mask was... tilted?

Her heart pounding in fear, Ruby crept closer to get a better look at the tilted mask leering her way, small ragged breaths leaving her lips. Just as she was close enough to reach out and touch it, the mask righted itself.

Taken aback, Ruby could only recoil in terror as the mask rose up and roared, "WAAA!"

"PIGII!"

She turned and ran, tearing out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her, the flashlight dropped and forgotten.

Back in the theater room, the masked interloper howled as its cruel cackles echoed through the hallways. "WAHAHA! WAHAHA! WAHAHAHAHA!"

Outside, the ominous roll of thunder rumbled across the manor grounds as dark clouds gathered overcast. With a blinding flash of lightning, a storm began to rage.


	2. Act 1: Introductions

**Chapter 1:**

It was a bright and sunny day as the colorful van rumbled along the road, the passengers within passing the time as Kanan kept her eyes on the road. Next to her in the front, Hanamaru and Riko exchanged commentary on a shared literary interest while Chika and You messed around in the back.

"Hey, Chika-chan, I bet you a hundred yen you can't fit this entire scoop of ice cream in your mouth," tempted You.

"That's easy money!" declared Chika confidently. "Give it!"

The brunette handed over her ice cream cone.

As it turns out, it _was_ easy money. For You.

"Aww! I got ice cream everywhere!" moaned Chika as she looked around for a napkin. Trails of melted cream fell from her face, and You lifted a washcloth to her mouth to stem the tide of tasty droplets.

She giggled. "I'll be taking my money now, if you don't mind." She noticed a stray bit of cream. "Ah. Hold still." Leaning in, the brunette stuck out her tongue and lapped up the ice cream with a lick.

"Ah! You-chan that tickles!" giggled the ginger as she fell back.

"Chika-chan? You-chan? Are you okay back there?" asked Riko as she turned around.

"We're fine," replied You with a smile, "But now we're out of ice cream."

Chika pouted. "I was enjoying that too. When can we get more?"

"Hmm... I don't think there's going to be any ice cream stops along this road," said Kanan.

"What? Why not? Where are we going?"

Though her eyes never left the road, Kanan frowned. "Chika-chan, didn't you listen when we first set off? Someone contacted us on our website and said there's a haunted mansion for us to explore! So we're going."

"It's going to be so much fun zura!" chimed in Hanamaru.

Chika and You exchanged uncertain glances. "Um... why are you all so into this anyway?"

"Because I get to fight a ghost!" replied Kanan eagerly.

"Because ghosts must have all sorts interesting stories to tell!" answered Hanamaru hopefully.

"Because we tend to encounter a disproportionately high amount of lesbians whenever we go on these excursions," noted Riko sagely.

In the back, Chika and You sighed and resigned themselves to exploring an old, allegedly haunted mansion. Yep. Just another Tuesday for Aqours Inc.

* * *

Some time later, the group's van, lovingly christened the Miracle Machine, drove up the long and winding road to the elderly manor sat upon the largest of a series of verdant rolling hills. Passing through the wrought iron gates without incident, they continued up the driveway until pulling to a stop just outside the main entrance. A young waifish woman with scarlet hair awaited them and welcomed them with a curtsy.

"Greetings Aqours Incorporated," she said formally, "My name is Ruby Kurosawa, and this is my manor. Thank you for arriving on such short notice, but I've found myself in quite a conundrum and I'm not sure where else to turn."

"Conundrums are our middle name," said Kanan confidently.

"Just show us where the ghost is, zura!" enthused Hanamaru.

At the mention of the ghost, Ruby's face fell into a disconcerted frown. "Well this ghost, as far as I'm aware, only shows up at night, so I don't think an immediate sighting is going to happen. But perhaps I can show you around?"

Kanan nodded. "A tour would be nice."

And with that, Ruby led the group of five into the depths of her manor, taking time to point out each room as well as any interesting tidbits she felt prudent to share. They wandered into the main hall, a grand room with vaulted ceilings, tiled marble flooring, and twin staircases leading up to a top deck.

"It's like a ballroom," marveled Riko as she stepped across the checkered floor.

"Oh? Shall we dance?" asked Kanan playfully as she spontaneously twirled Hanamaru.

"Zura!" yelped the brunette in surprise.

"Ruby," came a stern voice from the top of the grand staircases. "Who are these interlopers?"

"Onee-chan!" Ruby indicated to the group. "These are the specialists I told you about. They're here to help us with our ghost problem." She turned to Aqours. "This is my older sister, Dia Kurosawa."

"Nice to meet you!" called Kanan amicably.

Emerald eyes looked down at the detectives, their owner finding herself decidedly unimpressed. "Hmph. We are Kurosawas. We can handle our own affairs without outside interference," sneered the elder sibling. Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked off.

Ruby sighed. "I'm sorry about that," she said, "Onee-chan was against the idea of bringing in outside help. As she said, she thinks we can handle this ourselves, but I'm not so sure."

"It's okay Ruby-chan," soothed Hanamaru, "We'll help you no matter what Dia-san thinks, zura!" The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

Ruby smiled. "Thank you for your kindness. Let's continue the tour!"

* * *

"And this is our library," announced Ruby as she pushed open the double doors.

The five members of Aqours Inc. let out sounds of awe as they looked upon the vast rows of bookshelves, chock full of ancient tomes and modern encyclopedias. Hanamaru immediately drifted over to nearest shelf to peruse as stars shined in her eyes.

"This is amazing," breathed Riko as she subtly checked for a yuri section.

"Thank you," smiled Ruby. "My family has built up quite the extensive collection over the years, so it's always nice when-"

"Ruby Kurosawa!" interrupted a bombastic voice.

Everyone turned to the newcomer, just as Ruby let out a small sigh.

"Ruby Kurosawa, I would now like to make another offer for this property!" declared a well-dressed blonde woman.

"Mari-san, I-"

"Stop! Don't say anything!" commanded Mari. She whisked a large briefcase out from behind her back and held it before her, snapping open the lock. She raised the lid to reveal rows upon rows of neatly packaged yen lining both halves of the briefcase. They were all of significant denomination. "How about this? Surely this is enough to purchase this quaint little manor," she said confidently.

Everyone from Aqours Inc. looked on in awe. "That's enough money for a year's worth of mikan!" cried Chika.

"A year? More like a lifetime," corrected Riko.

"No, she means a year," said You. "You've yet to witness the full depths of her thirst for mikans."

While Riko wondered over whether or not that was supposed to be a euphemism, Ruby plastered an indulging smile on her face as she looked Mari in the eye.

"Mari-san, I appreciate your interest but my answer remains unchanged: No."

Mari's face fell into a scowl and she slammed the briefcase shut. "Everyone has a price, my dear. I just need to find yours." With that, she turned and stomped off, already taking out her phone to order a larger briefcase.

"And who was that, zura?"

"That was Mari Ohara, one of my house guests. She's an eager entrepreneur who's been trying to convince me to sell her the manor so she can renovate it into a hotel and resort. She's... a bit overbearing, but nice enough I suppose." The pigtailed redhead took a deep breath. "Anyway, there's still a lot of manor to cover, so let's keep going," she said optimistically.

* * *

The manor's backyard had quite the intricate layout, with multiple curving pathways forming concentric rings around a center of bamboo. Small creeks of water were interspersed with wild fields of green and simple rock gardens, though there were no fish to be found.

Ruby was merely walking the group along the outermost of the rings when they were interrupted once again.

A darkly clad woman wearing large gothic wings and a fake halo of obsidian jumped out of a copse of bamboo, shouting as she landed. "Daten!"

"Yikes!" cried Chika, jumping into You's arms for protection.

"Is this the ghost we've heard so much about?" wondered Riko, eyeing the stranger with mild revulsion.

Ruby sighed. "No, she's not."

"You must vacate this unholy place at once, Ruby Kurosawa!" declared Yoshiko, waving her hands mystically, "The dawn of Beelzebub's Ascension is near, and upon the full moon he shall resurrect and wreak havoc with his terrible powers! His spirit already calls lost souls to his command and more shall join them!"

"This is my other guest, Yoshiko." ("Yohane!") "She's a rather... eccentric local who possesses some unorthodox beliefs about my family's manor," introduced Ruby tiredly.

"They sound completely ridiculous, zura," remarked Hanamaru.

"Geh! Don't mock my beliefs!" snapped Yoshiko. "Soon Beelzebub will be upon us, and when such a time comes, you shall all feel his wrath lest you comply! I command thee, leave this place!"

Then Yoshiko jumped back into the bamboo, crashing into several stalks and breaking many more as she made her escape, copious cries of pain trailing in her wake.

"...what the heck just happened?" wondered Riko. "What's wrong with her?"

"I think there are some mysteries we can't solve, zura," said Hanamaru.

Beside her, Kanan hummed in thought. "I guess we've met our three suspects then," she remarked.

"How do you know it's one of them?" asked You.

"Rule of Three," said Kanan nonchalantly. "Besides, I have the sneaking suspicion that no one else matters in this little tale."

How right she was.

* * *

When the tour concluded, night was quickly falling on the Kurosawa Manor. So Ruby played the good hostess and invited her guests to dinner. The three suspects did not join them. She brought out a nice meal of pasta and salad, before taking her seat at the head of the grand dining table.

"You know, I've noticed: This is a very large manor, but we haven't seen any staff around," stated Kanan. "Where is everyone?"

Ruby smiled sheepishly. "Well, the Kurosawa family has been cutting back the number of staff for a while now. The family fortune just isn't what it used to be. And with the ghost thing popping up, the few that remained have all left in the last couple days. We are the only ones left in the manor."

The five guests took a moment to let that settle in.

"...well that's ominous," said Chika.

All of a sudden, the lights flickered. Once, twice.

Then the power died completely.

"Ahh! You-chan, protect me!" shouted Chika, leaping across the table towards the brunette's waiting arms. A loud crash and two yells of pain pierced the darkness.

Then Ruby turned on a portable lamp.

The light revealed Chika and Riko, tangled together on the floor next to Riko's knocked over chair, bits of pasta and sauce covering their confused faces. As usual, Riko was on the bottom.

"Chika-chan, you missed," remarked You dryly.

"You-chan!" cried Chika again as she launched herself into You's arms. "Does this mean the ghost is coming?!"

"No, no," said Ruby calmly. "This is an old manor, and sometimes things like this just happen. It's not ideal, but it's normal." She paused. "Or... normal enough. It's gotten worse since the ghost showed up," she admitted quietly. "Anyway, let's get some more light."

Ruby lit a few candles and placed them in strategic positions around the room, much to everyone's comfort.

"Now then. I'll just hit the circuit breaker and we can get the electricity back," she said with a smile.

"Would you like some company zura?" offered Hanamaru through a mouthful of pasta.

Ruby shook her head. "I'll be fine, but thank you for the offer. Please enjoy yourselves."

With lamp in hand, Ruby disappeared through a door, leaving it ajar as her dinner guests concerned themselves with their meals.

Though still unnerved, the five dinner guests lifted their forks to eat.

Then suddenly...

"PIGII!"

"RUBY!" cried the five.

Everyone jumped up and ran.

* * *

**AN: In case it isn't already obvious, this is a parody of Scooby-Doo. :D**

**It's not intended as a parody of any specific episode, just of the franchise in general.**


	3. Act 2: Gathering Clues

**Chapter 2:**

The five members of Aqours Inc. tore through the open door and into the darkness of the hallway beyond, their caution thrown to the wind as concern for Ruby's well being leaped to the forefront.

Footsteps came pounding towards them, and the group halted as Ruby appeared from the shadows, panic on her face as she barreled past them.

And thus did they get their first look at the Ghost of Kurosawa Manor.

The symbolic, ornate face of traditional theater was the only adornment upon this figure cloaked in gray, the getup obscuring all features as it bore down upon Ruby and her guests. Lithe arms extended out of a dirty robe as chains rattled from shattered manacles, and a cacophonous shrieking emanated from the empty void where a mouth should be.

"Run!" cried Chika.

The girls needed no further prompting and tore back down the way they came, the ghost chasing them all the while.

"WAHAHAHA! WAHAHAHA!" it cried.

They all came crashing through the door to the dining room, just in time for Ruby to slam the door closed behind them. "Hide!" she called before diving beneath the table. Everyone followed suit, taking shelter beneath the white tablecloth in hopes that it was adequate concealment.

Then the door opened and the ghost entered the room. The six girls watched apprehensively as it practically glided across the floor, moving around the room while loosing its ululating cry. Eventually it turned back the way it came, closing the door shut behind it.

All of them let out a sigh of relief and they emerged from hiding.

"So... that was the ghost," remarked Kanan.

"Great. We've seen it. Can we leave now?" asked Chika hopefully.

"Of course not, zura! We're not leaving Ruby-chan alone with that monster! Even if it is just a person in a costume!" declared Hanamaru.

Next to the ginger, You sighed. "Yeah, of course it wouldn't be that easy."

"How are you Ruby-chan?" asked Riko kindly.

"I'm okay, but... That ghost stole my ring!"

"Your ring?"

"My Kurosawa Signet Ring!"

The girls exchanged glances. "It's okay Ruby-chan. We can get you another ring," offered You.

Ruby shook her head. "It's more than just a simple ring," she said worriedly, "That ring grants its bearer access to all the secret passages built into this manor when it was first constructed. If the ghost has it, then... it could go anywhere and do anything!"

"Wha-?! Who builds something like that?!" exclaimed Riko indignantly.

"Apparently rich people," answered You sardonically.

"Never mind that," said Kanan. "It's clear that we've got a mystery on our hands."

"And we all know what that means, zura," piped up Hanamaru.

The blunette smiled. "Alright Aqours, let's split up and search for clues!"

* * *

Kanan and Hanamaru searched along the manor's rumpus room, purportedly the place the ghost had come from. As they were the two who were most fascinated by mysteries (and the most competent at solving them), they liked to stylize themselves as the Azalea Detectives.

"Alright Hanamaru-chan. Let's keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

"Like this, zura?" Hanamaru bent down and picked up a dark piece of fabric that was lying on the floor.

"Huh. This looks like a cape," said Kanan. She reached out to hold the cloth. "And a tacky one at that."

"A tacky cape? Worn by a ghost with zero fashion sense, zura?" She put a hand to her chin in thought. "Hmm..."

They looked around for a few mote minutes, coming up empty-handed. "I think we've collected everything of value in this room," said Kanan. "Let's keep going."

* * *

Ruby and Riko searched together along one of the manor's corridors. The girls had originally wanted Ruby to sit down and recover from her recent ordeal, but the redhead had refused, wanting to take full part in the investigation of her home.

Riko placed a hand on a doorknob. "Hey, what's in here?" she asked.

Emerald eyes widened in alarm. "Wait, don't-!"

Too late. The door swung open as a trio of whiskered faces snapped towards the sound. Riko blinked in confusion as she met the gazes of three trained seals.

"Um..."

"ARF! ARF! ARF!" cried the animals. Intent on securing freedom, they charged towards her.

"Run!" she cried, taking off. Ruby trailed behind her, just as panicked.

"ARF! ARF! ARF!"

"Why are there seals in this manor?!" shouted Riko.

"Mari-san brought them with her when she first arrived! I didn't have the heart to tell her no!" explained Ruby as they fled.

"Why are rich people so crazy?!" exclaimed Riko. "Curse you Mari Ohara!"

* * *

Unlike their more focused friends, Chika and You immediately headed for the manor's pantry. Chika took the lead as her ahoge bounced and twirled, her natural mikan detector sniffing out where Ruby kept the good stuff.

While Chika compiled every product that had mikan on its list of ingredients (which actually amounted to more than half the pantry), You took a place at the kitchen stove and fried up a large helping of hamburger steak.

"Mmm... This is some really high quality beef," remarked You as she flipped her creation one last time. She glanced over at Chika. "How's the mikan roundup going?"

On the other side of the room, Chika plopped down some mikan flavored potato chips and mikan flavored fish cakes next to the massive pile of foodstuffs. Notably, actual mikans were nowhere to be found. "I'm done, but this is ridiculous! There are more mikans growing in the backyard than there are in this house!"

"That's definitely pretty strange," agreed You as she plated her food.

Chika sighed. "Oh well. That's probably for the best anyway. We should hurry up and eat so we can help the others look for clues."

You turned back to snap a witty retort when she saw something that gave her pause. "Um... I think I found a clue."

"Oh? What?"

The brunette gulped. "That!" she cried, pointing at the ghost.

"WAHAHAHA!" wailed the ghost.

"Yikes!" cried Chika, leaping into You's arms in a bridal carry. "Let's get outta here!" she shouted.

"Yousoro!" cried You as she scampered off with Chika in her arms.

Naturally, the ghost followed.

* * *

With all the running going on in the Kurosawa Manor, it was inevitable that there would be collisions. So it was that Ruby and Riko collided with Chika and You in the middle of one of the manor's major corridors, sending them all sprawling to the floor.

"The ghost is behind us!" cried You.

"We're being chased by seals!" shrieked Riko.

Just then, twin exclamations of "ARF! ARF! ARF!" and "WAHAHAHA!" came echoing through the area.

Without the proper time to decide if they should run or hide, the four girls did both.

As ghost and seals entered the corridor, they became involved in a scene right out of a Saturday morning cartoon as they all began the physically improbable, physically _impossible_ game of going into one door and coming out of another door.

The ghost chased Chika and You through a door while the seals followed Riko and Ruby into another. Then the ghost chased Riko while the seals chased Chika. Then Ruby chased Chika and You chased Riko while the seals chased the ghost. Then the ghost chased You and Ruby while Chika and Riko collided, before turning around and going back the way they came. Then Chika and Ruby chased the ghost before the ghost suddenly turned around and chased them instead.

Eventually however, it ended up with the ghost chasing Chika, You, and Riko in one direction while the seals chased Ruby in another.

It was quite the montage.

* * *

Ruby pounded down the hallway, panic lacing her steps as the seals barked behind her. She rounded a corner only to run into Kanan and Hanamaru, the Azalea Detectives confused at this unexpected upset.

"There are trained seals chasing me!" exclaimed Ruby as way of explanation.

"ARF! ARF! ARF!"

"Is that so?" said Kanan with narrowed eyes. Rolling her sleeves up, she rounded the corner.

And that was how Ruby and Hanamaru learned that Kanan could win a fight against three trained seals.

* * *

"WAHAHAHA! WAHAHAHA!" wailed the ghost as it pursued its chosen prey.

"What do we do?!" panicked Riko, "It's gaining on us!"

You stopped as she found the answer. "Into the laundry chute!" she said, pulling open the door. "Yousoro!"

The ginger was up next and she dove in without a second thought. "Chika Banzai!" she yelled.

Riko was last. "Why must every eleven minutes of my life be filled with miseryyyyyy?!"

The trio hurtled down the laundry chute, the tube somehow twisting and turning as if it were a water slide before depositing its passengers into an empty laundry hamper. For once, Riko was on top.

As they picked themselves up and brushed the dust off, they took notice of their surroundings, finding themselves in the basement.

"...I think we lost it," sighed You with relief.

"Thank goodness," moaned Riko, "My legs were dying..."

You looked at her pityingly. "See, if you just got yourself a YOU hat-"

"We are NOT getting into that again!" snapped the redhead. She sighed. "Well, if we're done running for now, then I guess we should keep looking for clues."

"Um... About that." Chika pointed behind You and Riko, and the duo turned around to see a dark passage with a bookcase next to it. Clearly the bookcase was supposed to have been hiding the passageway, but someone had left it open. "I think this is one of those secret passages Ruby-chan mentioned earlier."

You and Riko exchanged a look. "Chika-chan, why don't you go in first and scout it out?" suggested Riko.

"What, me? No way!" protested the ginger.

"Would you do it for a mikan?" asked You slyly as she materialized the fruit.

"Mikan!"

"Go get 'er!" called You as she tossed the mikan into the passage.

Chika practically leapt after it, disappearing into the darkness in search of her snack. By the sound of elation she made, it was clear she'd found it. Truly, there was no scheme more effective at getting Chika to explore than the classic yeet 'n eat.

"Is it safe in there?" asked Riko.

"Yeah, we're good," replied Chika. As she devoured her mikan and let the peels fall where they will, she frowned when You and Riko joined her in the passage. "But I'm still really annoyed that you just carry these around and use them to bribe me at opportune moments."

"You could do the same to us if you had uniforms or yuri doujins," replied You flippantly. "Mikans are just easier to carry around."

"I'll keep that in mind," deadpanned the ginger. Suddenly, her foot ran into something. "Hey, look down there!" She bent down and retrieved a sleek remote-like device with numerous buttons and an antenna on top. "What is this thing?"

"It looks like a phone or a remote," suggested Riko.

"What's an expensive, high-tech gadget like this doing in an antiquated back passage?" pondered You aloud.

"Didn't we see someone using a phone like this earlier?" remembered Chika.

"Yes, we did," affirmed Riko. "Perhaps its time we pay Mari-san a visit..."

* * *

Meanwhile, the Azalea Detectives (along with honorary member Ruby) had their own encounter with a suspect. Coming into the library, they were all confused and concerned to see Yoshiko kneeling on the floor in the center of a pentagram drawn with... strawberry jelly. Electric candles marked key points on her unholy diagram as she chanted a mantra in broken Latin, stumbling over her words every other sentence.

"Yoshiko-san, what are you doing?" asked Kanan.

The blunette startled, practically falling over herself as she whirled to face the trio. "Wah! When did you get here?! How long have you been watching me?!"

"We've only just arrived, Yoshiko-san," said Ruby calmly as she helped her guest to her feet. "We don't wish to interrupt, but could you please explain what you're doing in my library?"

"Clearly I'm performing a very intricate ritual," answered Yoshiko. "And it's one that requires complete solitude for the bond between master and familiar to take hold. Now I'll have to start all over!"

The trio of investigators all sweat dropped. "Aren't you worried about the ghost, zura?" asked Hanamaru. "It's not safe to be by yourself right now."

Yoshiko posed dramatically. "Kukuku... I've already told you, Beelzebub is coming and there is nothing you can do to prevent his return. You see how I am untouched by the ghost? I serve the Dark Lord's grand designs and I am protected by his Accursed Aegis..."

Kanan suddenly narrowed her eyes in observation. "Hey, weren't you wearing wings earlier? What happened to those?"

"Geh! Those...! I don't have to explain that to you," she replied hotly. "Now if you'll excuse me I need to get more strawberry jelly!" She ran off and disappeared.

"Hmm. How very suspicious..."

* * *

Riko knocked loudly on Mari's door, Chika and You at her sides as they awaited a response. A few seconds later, the door opened widely and Mari Ohara stood before them, an annoyed frown on her face.

"Whatever you want, make it quick. I'm a very busy woman," she said.

Riko just so happened to glance at the open laptop lying unattended on the bed. "You're watching cat videos," she observed.

"Very. Busy," stressed the blonde.

"We won't take up too much of your time, Mari-san," said You with a charming smile. "We just wanted to know-"

"You're the ghost that's been haunting Ruby-chan, aren't you?!" demanded Chika accusingly. Beside her, Riko and You sighed.

"Me?" asked Mari, offended. She scoffed. "Please. An Ohara will always get what she wants, but it won't be through ridiculous ghost stories. No, I will acquire this property through the power of financial persuasion!" She paused. "Though I might consider marrying into the family as an alternative solution. I do seem to have a thing for dark-haired dorks."

Chika, You, and Riko shot questioning looks at her.

"But anyways, I don't appreciate being the target of unsubstantiated accusations. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." With that, she closed the door to her room and locked it.

"...well. That was fruitless," said You.

Riko sighed. "Let's go see what the others have uncovered."

* * *

The KanaRubyMaru trio found themselves back in the garden, following a light Hanamaru had spotted through a window. As they approached the source of the illumination, Kanan took point as they ran into the last suspect.

"Onee-chan!" cried Ruby with relief.

"Ruby? What are you doing out here at this hour?" asked Dia with sisterly concern. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I'm helping Aqours Incorporated with the investigation. It's certainly been thrilling so far, but I'm glad I can contribute."

At the mention of their guests, Dia's face fell into a frown. "I see," she said with muted disapproval. She turned to Kanan. "You better not be putting my dear little sister into any danger," she warned. "If she gets hurt, there will be severe consequences."

"Hey! We're just trying to solve this mystery!" returned the blunette. "And on that note, what are you doing out here so late at night all by your lonesome anyway?"

"I'm walking the gardens," answered Dia flatly.

"Are you sure that's all you're doing?" pressed Kanan.

Dia's face hardened at the insinuation. "Excuse me, I don't appreciate these thinly veiled accusations. This is my ancestral home as well, if you'll remember. Now please, leave me in peace." She sauntered off, practically smouldering with indignation as the trio of investigators stared after her.

Eventually, Hanamaru sighed. "I suppose that went as well as we could expect, zura."

"It's okay Hanamaru-chan," comforted Ruby. "Maybe the others have found something out by now?"

Kanan nodded in agreement. "Good idea. Let's regroup and go over what we have."

* * *

The six detectives eventually reunited in the dining room, returning to the place where the night's events all began.

"So to recap... We have a missing ring, a dark cape, a mysterious remote, and three trained seals," summed up Riko.

"Don't forget the complete lack of mikans anywhere in this manor," added Chika.

"Chika-chan, that's not a clue," said You. "And actually, I don't think the seals are either. That just sounds like bad luck."

"At this point, I think we need all the clues we can get," replied Chika. Sighing, she pulled out a dining chair and sat down. "Ouch!"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just sat on something." Chika rummaged around on the seat cushion. "Here it is."

She held up an ornate piece of jewelry.

Ruby gasped. "My ring!" she exclaimed. She rushed over and grabbed it, hurriedly slipping it on her finger. "Oh thank you so much Chika-chan!"

"Aw shucks, it was nothing," dismissed Chika happily. "It's just me being my usual amazing self."

"I guess the ghost dropped it when it came into the room earlier," surmised You.

"Well, that's one problem solved. Now we just need to figure out the ghost," said Riko.

"Actually," started Kanan, "I think we've got this mystery just about solved." Next to her, Hanamaru nodded. Chika, You, Riko, and Ruby all looked at them in confusion. The blunette grinned.

"Aqours, it's time to set a trap!"


	4. Act 3: The Unmasking

**Chapter 3:**

As the ghost seemed to fixate on Ruby as its main target, it was decided that she would be the bait. Not that she would be alone, of course. Both Chika and You were far more experienced with being bait for a monster trap, and so accompanied the diminutive redhead.

They walked down one of the spookier corridors of the manor, the old electric lighting continuously flickering in protest to the strain on its components. Ruby gulped nervously. "I know I said I was willing to help, but this is a bit..."

"It's okay Ruby-chan! The two of us will make sure nothing happens to you!" declared Chika confidently.

You nodded in agreement. "And if the ghost gets too close for comfort, I've got a mean left hook."

Ruby chuckled away some of her nervous energy. "Thanks for the encouragement. I'm feeling better already."

Chika gasped as an idea struck. "We should make ourselves a team name!"

Ruby blinked. "Like what?"

"Like... CYaRon!" declared the ginger.

"I like it!" approved You.

And that was how CYaRon was born.

Sadly, the newly named trio wouldn't have time to celebrate, as the lights suddenly died and a loud wail pierced the hallway. "WAHAHAHA! WAHAHAHA!" A door at the other end burst open as the ghost emerged.

"Pigii!" cried Ruby.

The three girls immediately turned and ran. "CYaRon away!" shouted Chika.

* * *

What followed was an incredibly convoluted and cartoony chase scene including all sorts of twists and turns courtesy of the Azalea Detectives' trap-making skills. In all honesty it was a scene much better suited for a visual form of communication as opposed to a written one, because there's only so much ridiculousness that can be conveyed through writing.

And only partially for lack of trying.

Some highlights include: the ghost slipping on the strawberry jelly pentagram on the floor in the library, the ghost getting chased away by the three trained seals that now recognized Kanan as their superior, and the ghost getting caught when an ancient Kurosawa suit of samurai armor literally trapped it with a kabedon.

And now, the ghost was completely immobilized as the six detectives surrounded their fallen foe.

"There's only one person it could possibly be, zura."

"That's right, and that one person is none other than...!"

And Kanan pulled off the mask.

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

"Onee-chan!"

"Dia-san?!" chorused Chika, You, and Riko incredulously.

Indeed, held under the weight of an antique set of armor was none other than Dia Kurosawa. The ravenette glared at the detectives (minus Ruby) but said nothing.

"You were pretty slick with your scheming," said Kanan. "Using the secret passages to move around unseen, then triggering electromagnetic pulses with this localized remote before you moved in as the ghost."

"I still don't understand that second one, zura. What are elemental pauses? What's a remote?" inquired Hanamaru.

"We'll explain later," said Riko, giving the brunette a head pat.

"How did you figure out it was her instead of Mari-san or Yoshiko-san?" asked You.

"Simple," replied Kanan. "The ghost had been doing its disappearing act for a while. That means it had to have access to the secret passages, the ones that you can only access with a Kurosawa Signet Ring. Ruby certainly can't haunt herself, so that just leaves one person."

"That's right, and I would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for you meddling kids!" snarled Dia.

"But wait, why would you do something like this to your own sister?" questioned Chika.

Dia sighed. "Because this manor is falling apart and we can't pay for renovations. The simplest solution is for Ruby to come live with me in my apartment and sell this place, but she won't leave."

"Onee-chan..." sighed Ruby. "I understand we're not as well off as we used to be, but this is our home! Our family's home! Don't you remember what you said when we were younger? This is more than just a manor, it's a legacy! A legacy of everything we are and everything we were. A monument to the past, but also a foundation for the future. How could we ever give this place up?"

Just then, a deafening crash came from the dining room, and they all ran over to see what had happened. What they saw made their eyes widen in shock. The chandelier had literally come loose and crashed down upon the dinner table, sending rubble and broken glass everywhere.

"...I've reconsidered my stance," said Ruby. "Let's move out."

* * *

The next morning saw them all standing in front of Kurosawa Manor, looking down the hill as various moving trucks and construction vehicles drove up the long and winding road towards them.

Dia and Ruby looked on with wistful regret, neither of them truly wanting to see their childhood home undergo this fate, but knowing it was for the best. Next to Dia was a grinning Mari, the entrepreneur happy to have finally gotten her prime piece of real estate. Next to Ruby was a massively oversized suitcase that dwarfed the redhead, stuffed full with packaged bundles of yen.

Aqours Inc. stood nearby as well, enjoying the afterglow of having successfully wrapped up another mystery. Yoshiko was there too, dragged out of the guest room against her will before the ceiling could collapse on her, still groggy from performing so many pointless late night rituals.

"It's pretty amazing that you could get all these people up here on such short notice," said Ruby in awe.

Mari shrugged. "Money can be a very powerful motivator," she replied. "Besides, I've had them on standby since I first came up here."

"You were that certain we'd decide to sell?" asked Dia skeptically.

"An Ohara always gets what she wants," quipped Mari dutifully.

"So what are your plans now?" asked Kanan, eyeing up their former ghost.

"Return to my apartment in the city, of course," replied Dia. "I've already got a room set up for Ruby, so I'll be helping her get settled in for a bit."

Ruby and Kanan exchanged a glance. "Actually, onee-chan... I was hoping I could go with them on their next adventure!"

"What?!"

Ruby looked at her big sister with wide, pleading eyes. "Please?"

Hanamaru stepped up and held her close. "We'll take good care of Ruby-chan zura!" she declared.

"Yeah!" agreed Chika and You as they stepped up, "We're even working on a routine the next time CYaRon is used as bait!"

"You want to use my sister as bait?!" snapped Dia angrily.

"No, no!" backtracked Chika. She pointed to Kanan and Riko. "_They_ do!"

"Yeah, we're just here to pull each other out of the fire whenever applicable," added You nonchalantly.

Dia only growled in response.

"Onee-chan, I really want to go with them! I promise I'll be careful!" begged Ruby.

Faced once more with her little sister's pleading, Dia couldn't help but give in with a sigh. "Fine," she said, "Just... call home every now and again..."

"Yay!" cheered Ruby, Hanamaru, Chika, and You as they all piled together for a group hug.

Dia sighed. "I suppose it's back to the lonely apartment for me..."

"Actually," interjected Mari, "I was wondering if you might be willing to lend me a hand. I could use someone with extensive knowledge about the manor and the surrounding property." She put on a charming smile and fluttered her eyelashes enticingly. "Would you be interested?"

Dia pursed her lips in thought. "I suppose I have nothing better to do," she eventually acquiesced.

"_Excellente_!" purred Mari.

"Man," noted Yoshiko, "Everyone's getting these great endings except me. I didn't even get to keep my wings!"

"Oh yeah, whatever happened to those anyway?" asked Riko.

"They broke when I ran away from you in the bamboo garden."

"You can keep the tacky cape we found when we were looking for clues," offered Kanan, holding the fabric out.

"...I'll take it." With that, Yoshiko grabbed the cloth and draped it around her shoulders. She sighed. "So what's your next adventure?"

"We got an invitation to the next Hex Girls concert. It comes with backstage passes and free CDs too!"

"Did you say Hex Girls?!" cried Yoshiko as she began bouncing in excitement. "I love the Hex Girls! They're totally my aesthetic! Can I go with you? Please?"

Kanan and Riko exchanged a concerned glance. "Um... sure?"

"Yes!" cheered Yoshiko, "This is the best ending ever!"

And so, with the Miracle Machine loaded up with two new additions to the group, Aqours Incorporated set off on the road towards their next adventure and mystery, whatever that may be.

**~END~**

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**Omake:**

"There's only one person it could possible be, zura."

"That's right, and that one person is none other than...!"

And Kanan pulled off the mask.

"Kono Dia da!"

* * *

**AN: And with that, this unexpected Halloween themed story comes to an end! I hope you enjoyed it, and maybe even got to relive some memories of your favorite Scooby Doo moments. I certainly did, and it's all thanks to catching the last minute or so of the second live action movie on TV. Funny how things work out, isn't it? **


End file.
